Damascus, June 2 (SANA) The Umayyad Mosque in Damascus has received new international heritage recognition after being added to the heritage lists of the Islamic World Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (ICESCO), marking Syria’s return to the nomination and registration of cultural and archaeological sites after a hiatus of more than 14 years.
According to Lina Qatifan, director of the World Heritage Sites Department at the Directorate-General of Antiquities and Museums, the mosque was among nine Syrian archaeological sites nominated for ICESCO’s heritage lists as part of efforts to highlight Syria’s rich cultural legacy and strengthen the presence of its landmarks at the Islamic and international levels.
The recognition follows another milestone achieved in 2025, when the Umayyad Mosque became the first Syrian site to be registered in the Arab Architectural and Urban Heritage Register of the Arab League Educational, Cultural and Scientific Organization (ALECSO).
The mosque was included among the first group of 19 heritage sites selected from across the Arab world, reflecting its exceptional architectural, historical and cultural significance.
Built in 705 AD during the reign of Umayyad Caliph al-Walid ibn Abd al-Malik, the mosque is regarded as one of the finest examples of early Islamic architecture. Its design influenced mosque construction across the Levant, Yemen, North Africa and Andalusia, making it a landmark in the history of Islamic architecture.
The Umayyad Mosque also forms part of the historic fabric of Old Damascus, which was inscribed on UNESCO’s World Heritage List in 1979. UNESCO has described the Great Mosque as an unparalleled monument representing the city’s unique historical and cultural identity and one of the most significant surviving achievements of the Umayyad era.
Among its most distinctive features are the Dome of the Eagle, the Bride Minaret, its renowned glass mosaics and the shrine of Prophet Yahya (John the Baptist). Together with the site’s layered history, shaped by successive civilizations, these elements have made the mosque a symbol of the intersection of faith, art, knowledge and architecture.
The renewed recognition of the Umayyad Mosque on Arab and Islamic heritage registers reinforces its status as one of the most important monuments of Islamic civilization and a lasting symbol of Syria’s cultural heritage and Damascus’s historic significance.
kA.ABD
